J.C. Mejia of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches during the ninth inning in the game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois, August 13, 2023. /CFP
Right-handed pitcher J.C. Mejia of the Milwaukee Brewers has been suspended for 162 games by Major League Baseball (MLB) on Wednesday for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug (PED).
Having tested positive for Stanozolol, a synthetic steroid derived from testosterone, Mejia became the second suspended player under the major league drug agreement since Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres was suspended for 80 games on August 12, 2022.
This was the second suspension Mejia received in his career. The first one was 80 games after he tested positive for Stanozolol on May 17, 2022. He has a 1-0 record with an earned run average of 5.56, 13 strikeouts and three walks in 11⅓ innings in nine games before right shoulder inflammation sidelined him on August 15.
Considering that the Brewers already placed Mejia on the 60-day injured list on September 11, ruling him out for the rest of the 2023 season, he will be out for the entire 2024 campaign.
J.C. Mejia of the Milwaukee Bucks looks on during the eighth inning in the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, August 6, 2023. /CFP
"The Milwaukee Brewers fully support MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program and share in the goal of eliminating performance-enhancing substances from our game," the team's president of baseball operations, Matt Arnold, said in a statement.
The Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-2 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, on Wednesday to secure their 86th win of the season, continuing to lead the National League (NL) Central Division. Josh Donaldson hit a three-run, two-out homer during the first inning of the game.
"Ever since he's been here, you could feel his presence," Tyrone Taylor said of Donaldson. "He was the MVP of the league, you know? He's been mashing for us. I was doing cage work today, just listening to him talk about his approach and about life really. It's cool to be around him."
The Brewers reached the playoffs in four of the past five seasons and advanced to the NL Championship Series in 2018.